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Going to football on your tod...


Lordofthebling

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When I was drinking I would go on my own but never actually be on my own, if you know what I mean.  I could make 'friends' with anyone. 

Both home and away games were just considered: Mission Accepted.  I miss my younger days.

It's not so desirable sober and older, which is a shame.  

The other issue is reserved seating meaning I can't bomb about within the ground as I could, which is also a shame.  

It feels more akin to a trip to the cinema these days or even some fancy bar or restaurant, especially at home :(

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I made a post last season asking for opinions on people going to the Gate by themselves because I wanted to start going again but had no-one who was interested in going. I used to go with a few friends a while back but most got banned so I didn't go for a while and I missed so I had to get it back involved. I have pretty bad anxiety and I'm not great at socialising so I was super nervous but it's honestly fine, in fact it's helped me so much. Got talking to some of the people around me which is good. Honestly no-one cares if you're by yourself. I don't drink or hang out in the pubs or anything but I can assure you it's the same. 

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1 hour ago, Lordofthebling said:

Well that's it, life is over.

On and off season ticket holder for a good few years. Once upon a time there were ten of us who regularly went to the gate, then a few moved away and it turned to five, and finally the last of my mates has now just said he can't renew his ticket as they've just had a baby...

I can't not go to the gate. And I definitely don't wanna drag the mrs there!! Some thing's in life should not be shared...

Does anyone here go to the gate on their own? What's it like? Do you get funny looks? Do you get the 'ahhhh' face from others when drinking natch on your own on the wall in February? 

Lad who sits in front of me at Oakwell was in same boat when his brother moved away to be with his girlfriend, his brother decided that traveling from Edinburgh every week was too much and he was going to pick and choose 7or8 games a season to come back see his family and take in a match, at our place cat A games are £36 B £30 C £25 D £20 but if you buy a season ticket it's £13 a game, so what he did was pay for his bothers season ticket, and sell it to his brother for £10 a game when he came down, and posted it up for sale to his mates on Facebook for £15 a game when his brother didn't go, he was never on his own all season. 

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I've been going to the gate, on my own, ever since my kids grew up, moved away from Bristol and stopped coming to matches regularly. I've had a S/T in the Dolman centre for the last 15 years or so, and so have the people who sit in front, to the sides and behind me. All except the seat next to me which has a different occupant every game. Whoever sits there is not allowed to feel isolated, being surrounded by people who have known one another for years, and is always included in our conversations. After all, they are City fans as well.  I've met some great people sitting in that seat.

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Used to go on my own about 20 years ago....then  met a ridiculously young @Chris_Brown and his dad, who sat in front of me.  Saw that lad grow up into an annoying lanky shit(!) and along the way ended up continuing to travel to the game on my own, but never going to the game on my own if that makes sense.  Good friends with both of them now... 

Sometimes wish I'd moved elsewhere in the ground in the early days now! :D

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What a solitary bunch we are! :laugh:....

No problem with going on my own, like most others on here. Since late teens going with friends then close mates (close mates having bumped into a group at Leics FA Cup game, Jacki & Junior show...2-1 in the freezing cold...only to find out we all drank in the same pub!), then moving away for work and people's lives moving on in late 20's and 30's, partners, children etc....getting to games to meet up becomes something of a military operation with weeks of planning!

Sadly, i don't get to too many games these days, although my beautiful daughter has something to do with that! (no gripes from me on that front....something that makes OTIB on my mob so important!) but when i do, i can nearly always see a face i remember, strike up a conversation, have a beer and a chat....

It's all good!!

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2 minutes ago, Steve Watts said:

Used to go on my own about 20 years ago....then  met a ridiculously young @Chris_Brown and his dad, who sat in front of me.  Saw that lad grow up into an annoying lanky shit(!) and along the way ended up continuing to travel to the game on my own, but never going to the game on my own if that makes sense.  Good friends with both of them now... 

Sometimes wish I'd moved elsewhere in the ground in the early days now! :D

Can't ever remember going to the gate on my own but a few times ending that way.

Last season at the Reading game my son got me a ticket. He was a season ticket in the new stand got me one for the south stand.      Took my seat after a few beers only to be told OI!!! That's johns seat your in son!!

But the best time down the gate on your own was the first year the Dolman was open. My dad got us season tickets and then I spent all my time alone in the East End!!!

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Can I just say in contrast to some of the desperately unfunny pointless stuff on here of late plus the (publicly at least) lack of activity on the transfer front making the close season drag somewhat, this is the best thread I've read on here in quite a while.

Pretty heart warming stuff, with loads of great life stories, too.

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Nobby No Mates? Guilty, your honour, with several other offences to be taken into consideration...

STH for many years and can't remember when I went with anyone. Oh, actually, I can. Was my old boss (!) who rewarded all my overtime by paying for a match ticket. Just happened to be in the Russell Osman era and the game was utter bum gravy. Needless to say, he didn't buy me another ticket.

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I've been to away games on my own fairly often, I was at uni up north during our double season so went to Preston, Barnsley, Bradford, Coventry etc on my own, went to some home games on my own a few years ago as well, I enjoy watching football so didn't really make any difference to me I'd turn up, watch and go again. Only difference usually is that I normally go to games with my dad, but even then we turn up for the match and leave, no normal pre game routine.  

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I've been going to Ashton Gate since 1968 - off and on, depending where in the country I've been living.

However I've never lived in Bristol itself and never had any local City supporting friends.  My dad initially took me, and In latter years I've taken my son, but one has now passed away and the other is in London. At various times I've therefore had seasons going to games alone, including presently.

It doesn't bother me at all. I like my own company and I like watching football. I don't want to be in a big group that takes my attention off the match and don't understand those that prefer singing during the play and watching the other club's fans. That seems to put me in a minority, but there it is. When forced to be in a singing section (away games mostly) I actually feel cut off from the play as if I'm watching on TV in a pub. I'm happiest to be in a small group that actually doesn't feel obliged to talk all the time!

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3 hours ago, Lordofthebling said:

Well that's it, life is over.

On and off season ticket holder for a good few years. Once upon a time there were ten of us who regularly went to the gate, then a few moved away and it turned to five, and finally the last of my mates has now just said he can't renew his ticket as they've just had a baby...

I can't not go to the gate. And I definitely don't wanna drag the mrs there!! Some thing's in life should not be shared...

Does anyone here go to the gate on their own? What's it like? Do you get funny looks? Do you get the 'ahhhh' face from others when drinking natch on your own on the wall in February? 

most of us at the ground are like one big happy family, if you are going to sit in the same place at games I'm sure it wont be long before you strike up new friendships.

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3 hours ago, Mad Cyril said:

I have been going to the game with six others for years, one of which is my son.

They all look at me funny and none of them speak to me.

Are you taking the piss?

To be fair, we have been trying to move for the past few years. Ever wondered why we made your lad the DMZ seat buffer?

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10 hours ago, Dollymarie said:

I'm technically the only adult. I've usually got one or more children with me, occasionally my brother will come, and I meet people there but we literally meet in our seats, there's no pre-match routine with any other adults as such. 

Dolly , the ' only adult ' at Ashton Gate .

Figures .

;)

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11 hours ago, Lordofthebling said:

Well that's it, life is over.

On and off season ticket holder for a good few years. Once upon a time there were ten of us who regularly went to the gate, then a few moved away and it turned to five, and finally the last of my mates has now just said he can't renew his ticket as they've just had a baby...

I can't not go to the gate. And I definitely don't wanna drag the mrs there!! Some thing's in life should not be shared...

Does anyone here go to the gate on their own? What's it like? Do you get funny looks? Do you get the 'ahhhh' face from others when drinking natch on your own on the wall in February? 

You're never alone with the BCFC family. I used to go alone for quite a few years in the 90's and noughties. You have your pre-AG ritual, coffee and a pasty but once in the ground (about 45 minutes before kickoff) you'd always get to know familiar faces around you and chat about players, signings, how long it would be until the manager would be sacked and the opposition. Hard to be alone on a match day.

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Shame the domain name match.com has been taken.

Reckon I could have made a fortune matching up single football fans with a match day buddy, based on a scientifically sound series of questions.

Get their views of LJ, the back 4, the omission of Icelandic defenders, the contribution of Taylor, the power agents wield in the game, 5 pillars, stadium redevelopment and SL and before you know It, the Heineken Lounge will be wall to wall civil ceremonies.

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I hadn't thought of it before this thread but I have never been to a match on my own. But in the old terrace days I did enjoy leaving my mates  and going on 'walkabout.' Seeing people I hadn't seen for a while or just to stand with a different crowd. It sounds daft now but I used to like going on surveilance in the old div one days, in the parkend you could walk around the back and infiltrate the away fans and be let through to a hero's welcome at the gated section further down.

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5 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

That's clearer , you only go with yourself.

Do you ever fall out and sometimes go without you ? 

No, but my foster teenager regularly falls out with me, and that's the beauty of an unreserved area, he can go and strop off to sit somewhere else and not annoy anyone by doing so :D 

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